Hensel Phelps – Gateway Center

Lockheed Martin teamed up again with Hensel Phelps to build its new Gateway Center.

By Alan Dorich, Senior Editor at Knighthouse Publishing

As an employee-owned company, Hensel Phelps’ workers make sure its clients’ projects are built with care. “Everyone has an extremely large amount of pride in what they do on this project,” Project Manager David Brooke says. “We have a true sense of ownership in completion of these projects.”

The company is bringing that pride to its construction of the Gateway Center in Littleton, Colo., for client Lockheed Martin Corp. The facility, which will stand five stories and cover 266,000 square feet, will be used for assembling and testing satellites.

Hensel Phelps is serving as the design/builder on the $350 million project, which broke ground in June. It is scheduled for completion in December 2019.

When finished, the Gateway Center will provide Lockheed Martin with a high-bay cleanroom and test chambers that will allow the company to build and test satellites. The clean rooms, Brooke adds, are being built to ISO 8 standards.

Hand in Hand

Hensel Phelps and Lockheed Martin have worked on projects together for more than 35 years. “We’ve got a long history with them,” Brooke says, noting that the companies have teamed up on work in Colorado, California and at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Not only did the contractor’s relationship with Lockheed Martin make it an ideal fit for the Gateway Center, but it also has the necessary expertise. “[We knew that] this was a very unique facility,” he says, adding that the company helped design the project from scratch. “It was initially a concept on a napkin.”

When Hensel Phelps co-located its design team together in one office, it brought its architectural, structural, civil, mechanical and electrical designers. “Along with the owner, we worked together establishing the building requirements,” Brooke recalls.

“From there, we commenced with design and estimating of the project,” he says, noting that the project engineered for expansion. “We’ve sized a lot of the equipment to be able to have expansions without tearing up the whole building.” These include increased pipe sizes from the central utility plant and preplanned air handler locations which initially serve as offices.

The company also helped Lockheed Martin understand the design through the use of virtual and augmented reality technology. “We were able to put them in their space with their products in there,” Brooke recalls.

This allowed the owners to see if they had enough room to move and assemble satellites within the facility. “We also used virtual and augmented design to pre-build to ensure the sequencing is right before they actually go build them,” he adds.

“This was a good project to apply it to,” Brooke continues, adding that many companies have yet to adopt the technology. “Part of that is because of the time it takes and the right people with the skills to go put those things together.”

Cool Work

Hensel Phelps shares the credit for its success on the Gateway Center with its design partners and subcontractors. “We integrated them early in the design process,” Brooke recalls.

These include Davis Partnership Architects, which did “a really cool job” with the insulated metal wall panels on the Gateway Center’s exterior, Brooke says. “They brought out a unique, modern look,” he says.

Maxson Engineering also played an important part, thanks to its experience with clean spaces and test chambers. “They were a key design partner on the team to be able to integrate these complex test chambers in the facility and meet the owner’s requirements,” he says.

Brooke also highlights L. Nothhaft & Son Inc., which is providing the design/build services for the building’s fire protection system. “It is a complex, pre-action system that’s being built,” he says. “They’ve been able to look at what was originally designed, optimize that design and help the owner save money while still meeting the intent.”

Everybody’s Responsibility

Hensel Phelps maintains a safe jobsite while building the Gateway Center. “Safety is the responsibility of everyone, not just the safety manager on the project,” Brooke says, noting that this extends all the way to the craftsmen in the field.

All employees also have the responsibility to identify safety issues. “This is part of our ‘Check, Connect and Commit” program,’” he says.

“’Check’ is to identify good or bad safety issues, ‘Connect’ is to address the issue, and ‘Commit’ is to follow through to make sure the issue is addressed and closed,” Brooke says. “Our people really understand the premise behind it, [thanks to] the simplified slogan.”

The Right Way

With corporate offices in Greeley, Colo., Hensel Phelps’ specialties also include development and facility services. Brooke, who has been with the company full-time for 13 years, also credits its success to its culture.

“We are a leader within the industry,” he says, noting that the company is not only committed to strong ethics, but also completing projects on schedule. “We follow what we call ‘the Hensel Phelps way.’”

The company also plans to stay state-of-the-art. “We’ve put a lot of work in to driving innovation,” he says. “We’re doing research with how we can bring new technologies in.”

SIDEBAR – Homegrown Talent

Hensel Phelps takes pride in its staff. “Our people are the most dedicated, knowledgeable, highly trained and skilled builders in the country,” the company says, noting that it develops and nurtures “homegrown” talent.

The average tenure of a Hensel Phelps associate is 17 years, which allows the company to share knowledge to new generations and its staff members to become experts in their fields. “Every Hensel Phelps employee is cross-trained in every aspect of our operation, and every employee shares in our success through ownership,” the company adds.

SIDEBAR – Changing the World

Based in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin Corp. is a global security and aerospace company that designs, develops and manufactures advanced technology systems, products and services. “We solve complex challenges, advance scientific discovery and deliver innovative solutions to help our customers keep people safe,” it says.

The company focuses on the aerospace and defense, space, energy and emerging technologies markets. “Helping the future arrive is what we do,” Lockheed Martin says. “We solve the great problems of our times.

“We create the innovative technologies that define eras,” the company says. “While no one knows what’s going to change the world next, we’re probably already working on it.”